Attorney General Terry Goddard announced that the new service is now available on the Attorney General’s web site www.ag.state.az.us. The form can be completed and filed on-line, greatly streamlining the process. Complaints can still be filed in person or by U.S. mail.

“Consumers no longer have to go through a two or three step process to file a complaint,” said Goddard. “Not only can the entire procedure be done at one sitting, but consumers have the added benefit of knowing that our office receives the complaint the same day it is filed.”

During the past year, the Attorney General’s Office received more than 72,000 complaints and opened up nearly 15,000 complaint files. The Office reclaimed over half a million dollars in restitution for consumers during the year, not including the Qwest settlement.

The rollout of the new system coincides with Consumer Protection Week, which runs from February 1 through February 7. To mark the week, the Attorney General’s Office has also posted a consumer awareness quiz on the web site so consumers can test their purchasing savvy. The quiz is good for adults and teens and is available in Spanish. As well, children can access the Attorney General’s new Kids’ Web Page, which has interactive activities for kids of all ages. For the 5-8 and 9-12 year olds, the Kids’ Web Page has a game called Consumer Jungle that teaches kids about consumer issues via an entertaining game.

Capping Consumer Protection Week activities will be an Internet Safety Forum that will guide children and families through the complexities of protecting themselves from fraudulent schemes on the web and predators on the net. The forum will be held on Saturday, February 7 at the Pulliam Auditorium of the Burton Barr Library, 1221 N. Central in Phoenix from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. The free forum is familyfriendly, with hands-on activities for children and teens and important information for parents and adults.